Sometimes just getting a few posts on social media every week can be a challenge in itself, never mind considering the best times to post on which platform. If you can relate to this then it is all the more important that you maximize the exposure of every tweet, post, share and pin by reaching out to your followers at the right time.

When are the best times to post?

I'm focusing on the commonly observed best times for the major social media platforms based on my research. Keep in mind the best time for any message is when your audience is paying attention, so in fact, the absolute best time to post varies for everyone. More on that later.

You can see Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are all recommended for afternoons, while most people are at work. Pinterest also has a second best time slot nights from 8 PM - 1 AM. Apparently the night owls are all on Pinterest. The good responsible professionals using Linkedin check in at the beginning of the work day and as the day wraps up. Google+ is the only platform with a best posting time of mid-morning.

Use a post scheduler like Buffer, TweetDeck or Hootsuite

Now that you know when to post, stick to the schedule by using a post scheduler. TweetDeck, Buffer and Hootsuite are good options for scheduling your posts. They all have their pros and cons you can research, but here are the basics: As the name suggests, TweetDeck only manages Twitter accounts and is free. Buffer can post to Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Google+ and App.net. Buffer holds back some options for their paid "Awesome Plan" , like multiple Twitter account management. With its free plan, Hootsuite lets you manage three accounts, including multiple Twitter.

If you want to schedule from you mobile device you are limited to Hootsuite and Buffer as Twitter killed the TweetDeck app years ago.

Track your engagement

Once you've worked with posting consistently on a schedule you'll want to monitor how followers are engaging with your posts. Hootsuite and Buffer offer a range of analytic tracking and reports, as do social media platforms. Twitter has a great analytics tool built in to your profile, go to analytics.twitter.com to view yours. There are also a lot of third party analytic options, here is a good list by Buffer's Kevan Lee: Know What’s Working on Social Media: 19 Free Social Media Analytics Tools.

Experiment with different posting schedules

After you have some analytic data in hand for your post schedule, try altering the schedule and track how engagement varies. Since Twitter has such a large volume of posts, try posting the same tweet on multiple days at different times. If you really want to dig in to the best times to post for your specific audience check out this article from Buffer's Belle Beth Cooper How to Find Your Best Time to Tweet: The 4 Most Accurate Methods .

Keep this information handy

Keep this information around for easy reference by downloading this infographic in the form of desktop wallpaper. What could be more handy? Framing it and replacing the photo of your family on your desk? Possibly... but I'm not going to ask you to make that decision.

With over 15 years experience working with design studios as well as in-house design teams, I started my own design business in 2013. I have been fortunate to work with a wide variety of clients in my career, from large corporations with global reach, to regional niche boutiques, to locally owned businesses just down the street.